Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)

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  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    edited June 2021 Posts: 16,425
    Right, but you’ll understand if I can’t quite get behind the idea of ‘do something else good with Sarah’! There’s not really an idea there. We’ve already had five different versions of him so I’m not sure how much appeal there is in seeing how he would react to a new situation, because we don’t really know what his character is like anyway.

    I find it odd to watch the first 84 film and not find her to be the lead (or co-lead: it’s probably Biehn in the first half). Arnie is playing the monster.
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    edited June 2021 Posts: 16,425
    This might be common knowledge so apologies if it's old news but I'd not seen it before- apparently for the Blu Ray version of T2 they did a bit of stunt double replacement:



    This is the sort of tinkering with old movies that I don't mind at all- I always found the conspicuous stuntman face to be quite distracting in that scene and I think this helps loads! (even if the last one with the explosion is a bit dodgy)

    Come on Eon, time to paste Roger's face on all of those be-wigged stuntmen in AVTAK! :D
  • CraigMooreOHMSSCraigMooreOHMSS Dublin, Ireland
    edited June 2021 Posts: 8,217
    mtm wrote: »
    Right, but you’ll understand if I can’t quite get behind the idea of ‘do something else good with Sarah’! There’s not really an idea there. We’ve already had five different versions of him so I’m not sure how much appeal there is in seeing how he would react to a new situation, because we don’t really know what his character is like anyway.

    Indeed, we don't know what he's like. Good casting and writing would solve that one, though, like they do for most parts. I wonder if Bale's antics likely spoiled the idea of a grown-up John Connor for people? It feels like a bit of a poison chalice now.

    That being said, ultimately there's clearly very little appeal for anything in that universe at the moment, so I don't see how it would have made much difference. It's all a big hypothetical and just something I personally would have been interested in if I happened to live in a world where I could get anything I wanted. It certainly seems pointless now because we are now where we are and the series is in bad shape (with three BO disappointments in a row and more rights issues on the horizon I believe), and the only thing that can really be done with it now is let it lie in peace or reboot it entirely. I believe the only way Terminator going to live on, for the forseeable at least, is through video games.

    A throw everything at the wall idea for an alternate universe version of Dark Fate. No Arnie, new threat, new saviour. John and Sarah are no longer on good terms; both live off grid in separate places as both are still wanted terrorists. John comes into contact with the new saviour, rescues it, and flees to Sarah to help. She would be filling in the Arnold role, which already seems like an improvement to me considering how old Arnie drags the existing film down. There's fun to be had, I feel. I can't remember where I got the idea for this, but a particular scene would be Sarah and John being stalked by a figure that they convince themselves is a Terminator, however they realise he was a CIA agent (or someone from a relevant agency) after they've shot him. Another idea would be to send back the usual protector but have them be destroyed early on, against expectation and putting the onus firmly on the humans just like the first film. Things like that would have been cool, and we still have our new saviour, the new threat, all that stuff. I'm not going to claim it's a perfect idea, I'm only working from my mind here.

    Worked out though? On paper? There could have been potential. Alas...
    mtm wrote: »
    I find it odd to watch the first 84 film and not find her to be the lead (or co-lead: it’s probably Biehn in the first half). Arnie is playing the monster.

    She is the lead (or co-lead), yes. But Arnie's mug is on the posters for a very obvious reason. The Terminator itself has always been the star (the big sell!), which was the descriptor used previously, monster or not. To put it another way: I don't think too many people went to see the film because of Sarah Connor's great character arc. You were quite right previously when you said that a lot of people lose interest when the "killer cyborg travelling back through time" aspect is lost.
    mtm wrote: »
    This might be common knowledge so apologies if it's old news but I'd not seen it before- apparently for the Blu Ray version of T2 they did a bit of stunt double replacement:



    This is the sort of tinkering with old movies that I don't mind at all- I always found the conspicuous stuntman face to be quite distracting in that scene and I think this helps loads! (even if the last one with the explosion is a bit dodgy)

    Come on Eon, time to paste Roger's face on all of those be-wigged stuntmen in AVTAK! :D

    A lot of people reacted very negatively to that remaster. I don't understand why. It looked fantastic and it was great to see that version in the cinema. The windscreen on the truck during the first big chase always bugged me and I was very happy that they fixed it! Most people wouldn't notice, but it's the kind of small fix that makes a big difference to those that would notice.

  • talos7talos7 New Orleans
    Posts: 8,217
    I want to do a special edition of “ The Abyss “ and have the miniature water , in the shots of surface vessels, replaced with CG waves and turbulence. Water is incredibly hard to miniaturize , see Goldeneye , and often undermines an effect. The large scale models used for “ The Abyss” were fantastic but the water gives them away.
  • CraigMooreOHMSSCraigMooreOHMSS Dublin, Ireland
    Posts: 8,217
    I agree, @talos7! Water acts differently in pretty much every given situation so it's a hard thing to portray convincingly, but CG water has come a long way. The most impressive aspect of The Day After Tomorrow was the water FX. I think it was the first time I remember seeing it done so well on a large scale.
  • Fire_and_Ice_ReturnsFire_and_Ice_Returns I am trying to get away from this mountan!
    Posts: 25,161
    Arnie breaks down his most iconic roles.
  • M_BaljeM_Balje Amsterdam, Netherlands
    Posts: 4,521
    https://www.darkhorizons.com/bohemian-2-terminator-7-league-2-teased/
    Next, Variety has done an extensive and interesting interview with prolific producer Gale Anne Hurd at the recent Locarno Film Festival to talk a number of topics.

    Her work on “The Terminator” came up and the trade asked in the wake of the fizzling out of “Terminator: Dark Fate,” and the three other poor non-Cameron sequels before it, is there a possibility of (what would be) a seventh film in the franchise. Hurd says:

    “Honestly, I have no idea. I wasn’t involved in the last one. To give you some perspective, I used to have a scuba diving practice in Micronesia, and we found that they even screened ‘The Terminator,’ albeit a bootleg video version, of one of the most remote islands in the world. The awareness is already built-in, and I do think it’s a perennial with the right story with the right cast and the right direction. I think there could still be a potential future there.”

    In other words, the possibility is there, but nothing is in development at this time.
  • Posts: 9,848
    M_Balje wrote: »
    https://www.darkhorizons.com/bohemian-2-terminator-7-league-2-teased/
    Next, Variety has done an extensive and interesting interview with prolific producer Gale Anne Hurd at the recent Locarno Film Festival to talk a number of topics.

    Her work on “The Terminator” came up and the trade asked in the wake of the fizzling out of “Terminator: Dark Fate,” and the three other poor non-Cameron sequels before it, is there a possibility of (what would be) a seventh film in the franchise. Hurd says:

    “Honestly, I have no idea. I wasn’t involved in the last one. To give you some perspective, I used to have a scuba diving practice in Micronesia, and we found that they even screened ‘The Terminator,’ albeit a bootleg video version, of one of the most remote islands in the world. The awareness is already built-in, and I do think it’s a perennial with the right story with the right cast and the right direction. I think there could still be a potential future there.”

    In other words, the possibility is there, but nothing is in development at this time.

    I just don't get where you go with this franchise I mean maybe bring up the horror element a bit
  • Fire_and_Ice_ReturnsFire_and_Ice_Returns I am trying to get away from this mountan!
    Posts: 25,161
    Personally I would strip the concept down to its bare bones and reimagine it, start from scratch and have no connection to the existing films.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,804
    Personally I would strip the concept down to its bare bones and reimagine it, start from scratch and have no connection to the existing films.

    Personally, I'd use the resources to make all new stuff. Why keep going back to this particular well?
  • RyanRyan Canada
    Posts: 692
    mtm wrote: »
    This might be common knowledge so apologies if it's old news but I'd not seen it before- apparently for the Blu Ray version of T2 they did a bit of stunt double replacement:



    This is the sort of tinkering with old movies that I don't mind at all- I always found the conspicuous stuntman face to be quite distracting in that scene and I think this helps loads! (even if the last one with the explosion is a bit dodgy)

    Come on Eon, time to paste Roger's face on all of those be-wigged stuntmen in AVTAK! :D

    I actually noticed this upon first watching the Blu-ray because I used to intentionally look for the stuntman just for the fun of it! Cameron made some similar tweaks in Titanic for other errors like the coast of Mexico being visible in shots behind the ship at some points. I agree with you. Little tweaks like this in transfers of (slightly) older films don't bother me at all.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Dark Fate is the worst of all Terminator movies, and Genisys is probably the best.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,804
    Dark Fate is the worst of all Terminator movies, and Genisys is probably the best.

    We don't often agree, but we do here on Dark Fate.
  • edited January 2022 Posts: 12,474
    Asking all who’ve seen them all: is there anything worth watching really after 1 and 2? Those are the only two I’ve seen / own.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,804
    FoxRox wrote: »
    Asking all who’ve seen them all: is there anything worth watching really after 1 and 2? Those are the only two I’ve seen / own.
    I've seen them all.
    Terminator: Salvation is a very worthy 'sidequel' that tells an interesting story with some new characters that you don't need to see as cannon if you don't want to. It freaked me a little bit. Recommended for fans. 3.5 of 5 stars.
    Terminator: Genisys is much more entertaining than it should have been. Not at all necessary, but not a total waste of 2 hrs. Original & a curiosity. 2.5 of 5 stars.
    IMHO the rest are basically trash.
  • CraigMooreOHMSSCraigMooreOHMSS Dublin, Ireland
    Posts: 8,217
    I found Genisys to be such an irritating film that I can't even bring myself to watch it anymore. The only worthy thing about it is the admittedly impressive Arnie vs Arnie fight scene, for me.
  • Dark Fate is the worst of all Terminator movies...

    Poorly written protagonists (hated how they portrayed Sarah Connor here, and Sarah Connor, Jr. was a one-dimensional, ready-made version of the original). Too many protagonists (do we really need three protector figures for someone who's already tough and capable from the get-go?). Rough CGI. Dullest action of the series. By far the worst.
    ...and Genisys is probably the best.

    It's hard for me to place this one above the original, but I sure do share your enthusiasm here. Genisys was just a terrific film all around, and what surprises me the most is that it's probably the most optimistic and most feel-good Terminator film, which isn't something I would ever have expected or thought I wanted from a Terminator film, but there you go.
    FoxRox wrote: »
    Asking all who’ve seen them all: is there anything worth watching really after 1 and 2? Those are the only two I’ve seen / own.

    If you're a fan of the first two, then yes, absolutely. The two seasons of The Sarah Connor Chronicles are a must-see for one thing.

    Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines pales in comparison to what came before it, but in hindsight it actually has some pretty quality action and a pretty daring ending that actually pushes the series forward narratively. I understand why fans would consider it a dropping off point and be dismissive toward it, but if you're a fan of the Terminator lore and wish to see the narrative continued, T3 definitely hits the mark there.

    Terminator Salvation launches us forward into the future war itself with an adult John Connor—something fans had been clamoring to see for years. It's largely successful too. A really cool dark aesthetic, a great clanking score by Danny Elfman, some stellar action sequences. I don't think I would have wanted to see much more of this world in an ongoing series of films, but I'm glad we got this one.

    Then Genisys blows the timeline wide open in the best possible of ways and leaves you on a very hopeful note.
  • CraigMooreOHMSSCraigMooreOHMSS Dublin, Ireland
    Posts: 8,217
    It's nice to see Salvation getting a bit of love. It's a very decent sequel, I find. Probably the best of the sequels.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,804
    I found Genisys to be such an irritating film that I can't even bring myself to watch it anymore. The only worthy thing about it is the admittedly impressive Arnie vs Arnie fight scene, for me.

    Yeah, it's basically something to see once & go, "huh, okay. Kinda cool."
    OTOH Terminator: Salvation is the only one I actually revisit. I went so far as to get the blu ray of the 'Director's Cut'. Not a huge difference, but it made me happy.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    edited January 2022 Posts: 17,804
    It's nice to see Salvation getting a bit of love. It's a very decent sequel, I find. Probably the best of the sequels.

    The only really good one after T2 IMHO. Well, IMNotSoHO. ;)
  • RyanRyan Canada
    Posts: 692
    I could never get into Salvation. I like that the direction of it, but it just never clicked for me. I rarely revisit it when I run through them.
  • Posts: 12,474
    It's nice to see Salvation getting a bit of love. It's a very decent sequel, I find. Probably the best of the sequels.

    Wait... better than 2?
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,804
    FoxRox wrote: »
    It's nice to see Salvation getting a bit of love. It's a very decent sequel, I find. Probably the best of the sequels.

    Wait... better than 2?
    Oh I think he meant after 2..
  • CraigMooreOHMSSCraigMooreOHMSS Dublin, Ireland
    Posts: 8,217
    Yes, sorry. The post-Cameron sequels!
  • Fire_and_Ice_ReturnsFire_and_Ice_Returns I am trying to get away from this mountan!
    Posts: 25,161
    My Ranking now would be...

    Terminator
    T2
    T3
    Salvation
    Genisys
    Dark Fate

    I will say one thing about Genisys that despite being bad it is entertaining.
  • Posts: 1,394
    Genisys is so bad it’s fun.It’s the Batman And Robin of the Terminator movies.

    Dark Fate is just bad.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,804
    AstonLotus wrote: »
    Genisys is so bad it’s fun.It’s the Batman And Robin of the Terminator movies.

    Dark Fate is just bad.

    I concur!
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    Posts: 16,425
    I think they all pass the time effectively enough, I don't think any are properly terrible. But for me Salvation is just about something else really, and the silly gags in T3 cheapen it a lot (and I usually like silly gags!).
    But I'm sure we all agree that only 1 & 2 are the only properly good films in the series.
  • mtm wrote: »
    I think they all pass the time effectively enough, I don't think any are properly terrible. But for me Salvation is just about something else really, and the silly gags in T3 cheapen it a lot (and I usually like silly gags!).

    By "about something else really" do you mean that the beats in Salvation are different from your typical Terminator film? They are somewhat, but I don't think that detracts from the movie and it's still about Kyle Reese being hunted and John and Marcus having to find him and protect him. It still has its Terminatorness in that sense.
    mtm wrote: »
    But I'm sure we all agree that only 1 & 2 are the only properly good films in the series.

    I'll concede T2 is a good film. Even a properly good film. But on any given day, I'd rather watch T3, Salvation, or Genisys.
  • mtmmtm United Kingdom
    Posts: 16,425
    Is that just because you’re more familiar with T2?
    And yes Salvation tries to dig into the backstory and finds there’s not much interesting there, for my money. Terminator is a simple high concept idea about a robot coming back in time to kill its enemy: that’s the idea and it’s great. What is less interesting is the idea of a war in the future.
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